Wave Dancer, Ship Sinker
by kellani celina
Summary: Riani is a merr who drowns in her dreams. Her sister, Ariel, longs for the surface world. With the imminent discovery of their race, how will they protect themselves and their people?
1. Wave Dancer

Cirahl eyed the ship with unease, but his eager future bride wouldn't let him hesitate long. She enchanted him with her long red hair her boundless enthusiasm. She was practically dancing him up the long planks. Apparently, since they had arrived at the marina, Rianin had warmed up to him. Since their introduction, when his caravan rolled into the castle forecourt, she had said nothing preferring to let her family speak for her. Her eyes had widened at the gilded carriages and they had sparkled when she saw his horse, but with Cirahl she had been shy at best. Now however, at home among the ships, Rianin was chattering without pause. Refusing to look at the water below, Cirahl followed her voice onto the ship.

The plank had swayed under his weight, especially when Rianin, heedless of his discomfort, stepped too quickly. And as soon as he was safely aboard, Cirahl couldn't help but offer a quick prayer to the gods of the Black Lands. "May I show you about the ship?" Rianin asked proficiently, breaking her monologue. Cirahl declined. The motion of the waves caused the ship to bob unsettlingly, and frankly he doubted he could walk.

"Are you seasick?" She peered at him incredulously with eyes the precise color of the shallows.

"Of course not." He lied

Rianin patted his arm reassuringly. "These are only little waves. You're from inland though, so it might be worse? I've never met someone who gets seasick before. _Flame Dancer _is a steady ship, she even survived a hurricane. And they named her after me!"

"You are a beautiful mermaid." The ships figurehead was carved in Rianin's image, complete with eyes of polished aquamarine, and hair that had been painted red. The tail that curved around the bow was jeweled with blue and green stones.

"When I was born," she said excitedly. "All the artisans in the land brought tribute and they built me my first ship. A queen is only as good as the fleet she commands."

"What about your brother?" Cirahl asked.

"He's going to have a tragic accident at sea." Rianin confided. Her whisper carried across the entire deck. "Then I'll be queen."

"No I won't Rianin!" Cirahl cracked a smile as the young prince stalked across the deck to confront his sister. The boy was eight, an age where his clothes and crown didn't seem to fit despite being perfectly tailored. Prince Sealan's introduction had been dignified enough, however unlike Rianin, he had warmed to Cirahl immediately.

"Of course you won't Sealan." The queen glided over and separated her children before an argument could spark. She turned her son away from Rianin and pushed him gently. "Didn't you say that you wanted to help the captain chart a course for today?"

The king arrived immediately afterwards. "And I thought we were going to look for dolphins." He pulled Rianin out of her seat with a smile and twirled her around. Cirahl watched longingly. Did he wish that he were still small enough for the king to spin around? No, that would bring shame on the Blacklands. But, although his betrothed was only six, Cirahl couldn't wait to become a part of her family.


	2. Breathe in the Water

She was falling. Falling and screaming, but her mouth instinctively clamped shut as she hit the water. She was a good swimmer, but she wasn't powerful enough to overcome the forces that dragged her into the depths. The blue of the water faded to hazy grey as her brain screamed for oxygen. She couldn't breathe, there was no air. Flailing desperately, she gained a few inches closer to freedom. Towards the light and the air. But a flash of blue and silver in the deeps distracted her, and hands were pulling her back. Alarm bells in her mind as the urge to scream overcame the compulsion to keep her mouth closed. She sucked in water. The pain as the water rushed into her lungs was excruciating.

Hands were shaking her. She opened her eyes, but everything was a murky blue. She gasped in the water and panicked, her reality a nightmare. Bubbles floated up to join with infinity as she shrieked hysterically "I can't breathe!"

"Of course you can" said the little merr. "In through your nose, out across your gills. Slowly now, it was only a dream, Riani."

Riani struggled to do as instructed. Inhaling water went against every biological imperative she had ever felt. She touched a single hand to her throat where her gills were fluttering, and felt the cool rush of water passing over them. As she remembered how to breathe she relaxed and stared at her sister. "Thank you Ariel." She said.

"I don't understand how you can forget to breathe!" Exclaimed her sister. "Even when I have the horrible abyss dreams and the pressure is cracking my lungs and the fish have monstrous teeth and bulbous eyes, I still wake up okay."

Riani shuttered. "It must be part of the curse of the land dreams." Long ago Riani had asked her father why she, alone of all her friends, dreamed of falling through the air. Why she sometimes feared the life-giving waters around her. He had explained that some merrs were chosen to dream of other worlds, but Riani saw it as a curse more than a blessing.

"I wish I had land dreams." Ariel said wistfully.

"You really don't." Riani replied.

"I do, too!" Ariel exclaimed. "But let's not argue. I'm hungry, and Frailly needs you go to the marketplace. Father's in his workshop, but Frailly said you're old enough to go alone now." And with a flick of her tail, Ariel exited the room, leaving a vortex in the water behind her.

With a grin, Riani disentangled herself from her bed. Made of twisted strands of seaweed for durability, it was a combination hammock and cocoon crafted so the tides couldn't sweep her out to sea in the night. Riani didn't necessarily believe the tales her father had told her of the monsters that rose from the deep in the night, but she did know that sharks patrolled the reef in the twilight hours. Either way, she was content to stay inside at night. But now it was daytime, and she was going to the marketplace. Alone! She rapidly combed her fiery red hair with a shell comb, and exchanged her gauzy sleeping shift for something more practical. In her excitement, she nearly tore the fabric. Snatching her bag of many pockets, she exited her home through her window. As she passed the kitchen area, Frailly called out "get some shrimp if there are any, and some of that kelp wine that your father likes."

Riani smiled agreeably, but said nothing. Around her, the reef was beginning to stir. The tropical fish were beginning their routine of eating, spawning, and seeking refuge in the coral. Their myriad colors and shapes drew her eye in the predawn light. As she swam the water lightened in color from the predawn sapphire to a brilliant aquamarine and the other merrs began to stir from their reef apartments. Through twisting avenues of coral, Riani swam; and in a routine so perfect it appeared choreographed, they joined her.

Focused on her surroundings as a whole, she nearly bumped into a stately merr wrapped in a jellyfish cloak. "Excuse yourself, Miss Riani." The woman said as she patted her head to ensure not a single silvery hair had escaped her shell combs.

"I beg your pardon, Madam Lydia." Riani fell in pace with the woman. Lydia Mother-of-Pearl, was the grandmother of one of Riani's friends, but was also a stickler for manners. "I didn't mean to bump you, but the reef looks especially striking this morning."

Lydia surveyed the reef wryly. "I suppose it does. I still remember my first trip to the marketplace; I was convinced that the coral was glowing. Although certainly I was older than thirteen when I made the journey."

"Frailly and Father were busy this morning. Otherwise, I'm sure I would have been supervised." Riani was bursting to get away.

"Yes, well I am certain your mother knew what she was doing. Be on your best behavior Riani, and be on guard for thieves." Frailly isn't my mother, Riani thought obstinately. But she agreed nonetheless. She watched impatiently as Lydia's slate blue and pearl disappeared into the school of merrs, before ducking behind a fan coral for an alternate route.

The reef merr were as similar as the reef fish were unique. But as they approached the marketplace, the monotonous sea of silver-blond hair, blue eyes, and blue fins showed more diversity. At the marketplace merrs of all factions peddled wares. A loud mouthed reef merr had a net of nudibranch and was extolling their virtues to a knot of shoppers. Next to him, a black haired cave merr with a violet tail eyed him warily with silver eyes as he purveyed lobster. Reef and cave merrs had a violent history, but commerce trumped tradition. A shady looking merr with dreadlocks skulked in the background with a basket of medicinal sponges and a look that promised he also carried sponges for recreational purposes. An aeolian merr from the kelp forests to the East nearly lured Riani to his booth with the promise of a fine new tunic. But before she could examine his wares, all of her attention was shifted to a young girl with brilliant hair the color of the coral at the far end of aisle.

"Oysters!" She promised. "Oysters as salty as the mangrove swamps."

Riani had never seen another merr that looked like her, even in the marketplace. And true, this merr child had scales of various shades of blue and silver on her tail instead of turquoise and gold, but there was a close resemblance. "I've never tried oyster," she admitted as she approached.

"They're delicious." The girl said. "Slurp one down, after one taste, you'll want my entire basket."

Riani gagged at the texture, which was similar to sea slugs, but enjoyed the taste. The salt content was, as promised, higher than the ambient ocean levels. "They're definitely interesting." She agreed. "Wherever did you find this delicacy?"

"My sister and I foraged in the mangroves." The girl explained. "We hid them under our rock so no one could snatch them away."

"Mangroves. But no one lives out past the rocks!" Riani protested.

"Sure they do." A lanky boy with tangled tawny hair swam up next to the child, and draped an arm around her protectively. "And by the looks of you, milady, you belong with us. Now are you planning on buying some oysters?"


	3. More Powerful than a King

Somehow Riani was able to find a deserted route home from the marketplace. She swam blindly, brushing up against the coral in her urgency to find her father. How had she never noticed that she didn't fit in on the reef? Sanguine versus gold, turquoise versus azure. Her shoulder stung as she grazed a patch of fire coral. Angry red welts against her pale skin, another badge screaming to the world that she was different, an abomination.

She ignored the main apartment, and swam to her father's workshop. The strands of bones, of pearls, of shells, and glass that guarded the door chimed in her wake, and caused him to look up. Denai Spirit-Tamer looked every ounce the sorcerer he was. His hair had bleached white from channeling the world's energy, his eyes were the deep blue of the ocean after a storm and held both frightening power and deep compassion. His tail had every color of blue imaginable, each scale was unique. Riani had been mesmerized with this as a little child, but today she was absorbed in herself.

"What's the catch of the day?" He inquired. Riani mutely held out the bag of oysters. And he chuckled, "your mother will certainly be surprised. She was expecting to have shrimp."

"She isn't my mother." Riani responded automatically.

"She certainly isn't." Denai agreed. "But you usually can muster up more vigor denying it. What's going on?"

A translucent scale covering her eyes prevented Riani from crying, but the desire was there. And the words were tumbling out. "I don't belong here. I don't know where I belong, but it isn't on the reef. I should be cast out on the beach to be picked apart by gulls!"

Denai was quiet for a moment and he swam to his strings of flotsam. As he fingered the threads he muttered, "Oysters, of course. You met a rock merr."

"Many generations ago, the ocean hosted a single community of merrs. There were three great kings who ruled in this time, each with his own passion. The first king valued beauty, and he favored the artists and crafters. He collected many beautiful sculptures, and commissioned many beautiful songs, some of which are still sung. The second king valued knowledge, and he had many scholars, and he visited many salons where the philosophers did nothing other than ponder the great mysteries. The third king valued freedom. And he loved the adventurous the most, and he travelled great distances to discover new places and see many sights.

For a time they ruled harmoniously, because adventure, knowledge, and beauty are linked. Do not learned doctors appreciate the beauty in a heart's steady rhythm? Do not cartographers carefully record every detail of the ocean floor for later use? And do not the most adventurous long for the stars, which are more beautiful and dangerous than anything we know? But this time was utopia; perfection, unattainable. For soon the merrfolk would be divided.

Ursula, a minor goddess, embodied the sea. Bored with the tranquility, she channeled the destructive powers within her and planned to destroy the kingdom. She came in the guise of a woman, and she used her beauty and grace to charm the first king. She used her wit and guile to charm the second king. But the third king had seen many women in his travels, and he was wary of the dangers in her eyes. When it became apparent that Ursula would remain in the kingdom, the third king departed across the channel to the east, and with him departed many merrs. These merrs celebrated their freedom in the open ocean and the kelp forest, and the majority of them became aeolians, meaning transported by the wind. They would be better to be known as fluvians, transported by water, but be that as it may. Some travelled onward and became the strange beings known as polar merr, and there are likely other aeolian subsets that I haven't met.

Ursula was not content with simply disrupting the balance and driving one king away, she wanted to destroy the kingdom. So she seeded distrust between the kings by purifying the things they loved. 'Surely,' she would whisper to the king who loved beauty, 'the doctors in their caves are grotesque, touching the blood of other merrs is ghastly, and understanding the ways of the world is unnatural.' And then she would swim to the king who loves knowledge and say things like, 'look how the golden king's people are frivolous, they lack the dedication to delve into their studies, they flit around with their art and music like children, pleasant to look at but vapid as jellyfish." And slowly the kings began to distrust the other's passions.

In an effort to increase the intelligence of his subjects, one king took the brightest merrs into the caves where he created a great university for them to study what they would. In order to increase the creativity of his subjects, the other king took the artisans onto the reefs where they could live among coral gardens and sing so beautifully that human sailors would wreck their ships. And so the old city was abandoned, but it still remained. So Ursula swam to the center of the old city and proclaimed that whichever king could marry her would be all powerful, and that his opposition would be eradicated.

And a huge battle took place, decimating the old city (which incidentally is the site for the current marketplace) and many merrs perished. The two kings swam through the battle to where Ursula stood and each begged for her hand. She laughed at their pleas, for she was as mercurial as the sea and loved neither man. Raising one hand she drew the attention of all the warriors to where the kings were at her side, and, as the people watched, commanded them to stab each other. They complied, and she unleashed all fury of a tempest on the merrs that remained. They scattered to the reef and to the caves, each side blaming the other for the tragedy that Ursula wrought.

Due to their hatred, interbreeding became a capital offense. Over many years, their separation caused them to look different; the cave merrs embodied the darkness of their home, and the reef merrs the brightness of the reef. These two pure phenotypes are the only accepted looks, and if a child is neither, they are labeled a bastard and abandoned on the rocks. This practice is despicable, but over time a thriving community of rock merrs has developed."

"I have red hair." Riani interjected. "I should have been abandoned."

"You are my daughter, and I am more powerful than any king." Denai said firmly. "You may not feel like you belong on the reef, but as long as you are with me, no one could cast you aside."


	4. Hammerhand

Riani twisted her hair into a braid, wrapped it around her head, and pinned it with anemone spines. The moonlit ocean was the darkest grey, but she didn't want to draw undue attention anyway. She wrapped her light globe tightly inside a kelp bag. Sharks were rumored to be attracted to light, but Riani was more concerned about other merrs. The individuals who opted to conduct their business while the sharks were out tended to be shady in nature. As the waves churned the water, snippets of sound passed into her room. Her father's murmurs to Frailly had shifted into low snores. She jingled the shell and seaglass beaded curtain on her door, when the snores didn't cease she made her way across the room to her window. She unfastened the net that kept larger fish, sharks, and unwanted visitors outside, and slipped into the darkness.

Out on the reef, Riani kept to the shadows, stroking her tail evenly to avoid stirring the sediment. Along the bottom, a nurse shark was feeding on crustaceans but Riani was unconcerned- they didn't feed on merrs. Farther ahead, a merr in her late teens was also sneaking along the sea floor. From the way her hair floated loosely around her body, the way her scales reflected the weak moonlight, and the way she had selected seashells to emphasize her assets, Riani assumed she off on a midnight tryst. Harmless. Less harmless was the hard-eyed poacher abruptly on seeing a pair of black tipped reef sharks foraging in the coral. These sharks might attack a lone merr, especially one's that weren't full grown. At thirteen, Riani was nearly as tall as an adult, but she was as lean as a pipefish. A drift wood door opened, spilling light, and drunken merr onto the reef. Riani and the sharks both scurried away.

At the edge of the reef, Riani looked at the vast expanse that was the rocks. In the wavering light, they appeared to be ominous black shadows in a dark sea. The reefs had pinpoints of light where merr lived, but the rocks were devoid of life. However would she find three young merr in the darkness? She considered taking out her light globe in hopes that they would find her, but knew that if they could find her so could any number of things. A shadow passed above her, and she glanced up. The ship overhead narrowly cleared the reef, had it not, Riani wouldn't have worried. Shipwrecks brought fortune to the merrs. Clear glass, wrought metals, mirrors, all treasures that were nearly impossible to get in an underwater world. Riani considered surfacing, as she always did when the ships passed. Their shadows brought a phantom memory of creaking timbers and salt spray on the wind, and she longed to discover how accurate her imagination was. But the warnings not to surface had been drilled into her head. Instead of surfacing, she watched reluctantly as it sailed on.

Transfixed by the ship, Riani did not notice the shark approaching. But as she turned back towards the rocks, she was confronted with a sinister face. The single visible eye was hollow, and its otherworldly intelligence paralyzed her. She could only see a portion of the warped, flattened face, but she could picture the remainder of the hammerhead. Eighteen feet long, with electroreceptors under the jaw, and eyes that could see 360 degrees. There was nowhere to hide, and if the shark attacked, there would be no escape. Merr were swift sprinters, and agile, however a hammerhead shark had adaptations increase its flexibility. Riani could not compete. Hammerheads are more curious than vicious, she reminded herself, barely breathing, they are unlikely to attack merr.

But as it circled her she lost her resolve. She could see its ragged teeth in the small mouth, designed to tear her flesh from her bones. Riani considered her options. Fleeing was out, the shark's pursuit would guarantee a kill. There weren't any crevices large enough for her nearby, so even if she could surprise the shark, the momentary advantage would not be enough. And who was crazy enough to fight a shark? If she injured it or it injured her the blood scent would stir up a feeding frenzy. She would have to wait, and hope that the shark was curious rather than hungry. The shark stopped it's circling a distance away and swam towards her in a straight line. A rush of death. Riani clenched her eyes tightly, preparing for the bite that never came. Instead Riani heard a battle cry, and a slender merr swam past her and punched the hammerhead in the mouth.

Riani was shocked, and could do nothing but watch as the dazed shark shook its head bemusedly. But her rescuer was more decisive. Grabbing Riani's hand, the stranger merr yanked her towards the rocks. "Can't you see its bleeding fool? All the sharks on the reef are rising tonight. We have to move!" Riani followed blindly. From behind, she could hear the great hammerhead being torn apart by a swarm of sharks.

As they swam away from the reef, Riani glanced at her companion for the first time, and received her second shock of the evening. She had hoped it would be the bronze haired rock-merr, as it would save her the time of searching, but the long golden hair immediately disproved her theory. "You're a girl."

"You didn't notice?" She deftly wove through an arch. Riani did it more clumsily and brushed against the rock.

"You seem to know your way around." She observed.

"I'm from the reef if you're asking, Riani." She said matter of factly. "My father had an indiscretion. My mother made him give the child up, as she was carrying me. It was quite the scandal."

Riani's mind was reeling. "Do we know each other?" The girl looked to be about thirteen, had dark golden hair, and her tail had more turquoise accents than was standard. But Riani only recognized her vaguely, not in any significant way.

"No," said the girl, and her eyes glittered wickedly. "But we will. We would have, too, but I was advanced a year to study tactics. And everyone knows you anyway, you're a bit of an anomaly on the reef. Well, don't just sit there! The rocks aren't safe at night. We're going to have to stay with Hally until dawn."

She reached out a hand, and Riani took it. "I'm Naleen by the way. I haven't been assigned a deed-name yet."

"You punched a hammerhead in the face." Riani said, overawed. "If the council doesn't name you Naleen Hammerhand, it will be more surprising than anything that has happened tonight."


	5. Leave the Light

As Naleen led Riani along a complex path through the rocks, Riani surveyed their surroundings. Compared to the abundant life on the reef, the rocks were dead and colorless. Patches of turtle grass covered portions of the sandy bottom, and spires of rock jutted out. Riani didn't have excellent night vision, so she couldn't see the camouflaged fish and crustaceans hiding in crevices or pressed against the rocks. In fact she could barely see the rocks, but Naleen knew the way.

As they approached a jagged pinnacle, Naleen held her fingers to her lips, and gestured for Riani to slow down. They travelled a safe distance around it, and after they passed, Naleen explained in a whisper. "It's rumored that a witch even more powerful than your father lives among those rocks. It's customary for rock merr to give it a wide berth, because Ursula takes more than she gives."

"What do you mean?"

"You live with Denai the Spirit-Tamer. I'm sure you know that all magic comes with a price."

Riani nodded in agreement. Despite having powerful magic, her father was wary of using it. He explained that with great power came great responsibility, and that the smallest of changes could have significant impacts on the future. His respect for the unexpected consequences of magic caused him to be more likely to give out advice than potions, and if magic was necessary, and then he would substitute a simpler spell for more direct, and dangerous, magic.

"Well, Ursula makes sure that price falls in her favor." Naleen shuddered. "My father told me that she steals souls and uses them to power her magic."

"My father told me that she was a sea-goddess, not a witch."

"Well whatever the case, she used to advise the king until your father banished him to the reef."

"Really?" Denai had always been elusive about telling stories of his magical workings.

"Yes. The king liked the wealth and power that came from shipwrecks, and she had the power to cause them. My father is the king's military commander, and he told me that Ursula would watch the humans drown with chaos in her eyes. About seven years ago, intelligence discovered that the king of the Sunset Isles would be sailing above the reef. My father thinks that Ursula planned on bringing her chaos to land and killing the human king. But before she could, your father began working a great magic, and drove her to the rocks. No one saw him work the spell, but Ursula hasn't left her fortress in years. She might be dead, but Hally says that the rock merr don't take chances. Merr that swim too close to those rocks tend to disappear."

"My father defeated a goddess in combat." Riani snorted.

"That's what my father said." Naleen responded. "And he doesn't lie."

"I didn't think my father did either. But he definitely keeps secrets."

"Hally was supposed to be a secret. But my father insisted on taking responsibility for her. And I insisted on following him."

"I can't believe that your sister would just forgive your father for abandoning her." Riani commented. "Or that your mother would let him visit his mistress."

Naleen smirked. "My mother would feed him tetrodotoxin before letting him stray again, but Hally's mother is a follower of Aeolus. She left Hally with a reefborn couple when she was a baby, the woman nursed her because she had a son of the similar age. While they were alive, Hally suffered through my father's visits, but they died and Hally relocated. She only comes out of hiding when I visit."

"I only come out when you visit alone." A quiet voice carried across the water. The rocks distorted it, so Riani couldn't determine the initial location.

"Riani was going to be eaten by a shark, Hally. I couldn't just leave her…"

"Riani brought me a present." Hally said. In an effort to see the girl, Riani had taken her light globe out, and had shaken it to activate the luciferase enzyme inside. In the wavering light, she could see a slender girl with hair as golden as Naleen's, green eyes, and a turquoise and copper tail. Hally extended one hand cautiously. "We don't bottle light on the rocks. Is it hot?"

As Hally lifted the globe away from Riani, Riani could see figures of other merrs rising around them. In the wavering light, they were only silhouettes. The long, slender form she could only assume was an adolescent male. The long projection in his hand could only be a spear of some kind. There were two others surrounded by nimbuses of hair. Young females, children. Riani gripped Naleen's hand, but Naleen only laughed. "Come and see the light Airana, Antina, Celaver."

The younger girl, perhaps surviving six summers, swam forward exuberantly, and once in the circle of light Riani recognized her as the oyster seller from the marketplace. She touched the light globe without the hesitation Hally had shown. Her companion could only be her sister. Although her hair did not share Antina's pinkish tinge, it was still red. And the intricate silver and blue tails were exact replicas. Unlike Antina, Airana was completely silent, never joining the small knot. But Riani's eyes were on the boy, was this the boy she was looking to meet? But as he propelled himself into the light, grasping the shaft of his spear, she knew it was not the same boy. This male, Celaver, was slightly older, fifteen or so. He had sable hair, bright blue eyes, and scales ranging from the color of a blue tang the indigo of an acropia coral. Riani had never seen a more handsome youth in her life, and felt her heart stop briefly. However, despite his beauty, Celaver held little interest to her. Another merr was approaching.

He carried his own spear, tipped with bone. The newcomer was tall and slim still, not having gained the musculature of an adult male merr, Riani judged him to be slightly younger than Celaver, maybe fourteen, or even thirteen like her. He remained in the shadows, so that she couldn't decipher his coloration and he said nothing. But as Hally swam to greet him, the light reflected off the bronze and copper scales on his tail. His eyes were a bright green, a few shades darker than the turtle grass. His light brown hair was tied back with a piece of seaweed, and that style coupled with the spear and light scarring on his chest made it obvious that he was a warrior. Celaver also had scars.

"I knew you'd come to see me." He said. "Follow, leave the light." He left her no time to consider whether she should remain with Naleen, and dust churned as he swam into the dark. Riani followed.


	6. Swim in the Stars

For awhile Riani followed blindly. The grit from the sea floor was floating into her eyes, but her scales prevented any damage. They didn't improve the visibility though. She couldn't follow him using her ears either, due to the constant whispering currents, and the distant sound of waves breaking along an unseen shore. Instead she used the minute eddies that his tail strokes created to orient herself in his path. Fish sometimes used tactile cues to school, they had learned that as children, and although merrs were generally reliant on their eyes, there was no reason that Riani couldn't use another sense. She had concentrated iron in an organ in her brain and could use the magnetic field to orient as well. Based on the pull, she was travelling south south west, towards the coast. Riani was also aware of the slope of the sea floor, and the decreasing depth of the water.

"Are we going to where oysters come from?" She finally asked.

"We're going past the mangroves." He replied.

Riani had studied a bit of geography as well. She knew where the reef was in relation to the other kingdoms. There was a peninsula jutting off the mainland creating a warmer bay. The reef was north of the point, around an archipelago. The western side of the peninsula, facing the oceans wrath, was riddled with sea caves where the cave merr resided. The bay on the eastern side of peninsula contained the rocks. Closer to shore were mangroves and a beach, and past that was land, not even the bravest merr cartographer ventured onto the land to describe it.

"Land?" All the children on the reef had heard the horror stories used to keep curious young merrs in the water. Of scales bleaching and flaking away, of skin burning red, of choking on the thin air.

"If you want to swim in the stars." Said the boy, Saranyr. Sometime during their swim, he had mentioned his name.

Riani could barely swim anymore, the water was so shallow. Her tail scraped the bottom with every beat, destroying her momentum. "Hold your body stiff, use your arms to pull yourself forward." Saranyr suggested. Riani followed it. She allowed her body to float on the surface, keeping her head in the water, and slowly got used to the new style of movement. It helped. She was moving very slowly, but it decreased the silt that was being stirred up. She could see the giant buttressed roots of the mangrove trees around her, and noted the slight increase of salinity. And the water only grew shallower.

Eventually, Riani's cheek was pressed against the sand, the water lapping over her gills. "Are you going to kill me?"

"We can breathe air you know," Saranyr said. "To differing extents. We hybrids tend to be quite good at it actually. Take your head out of the water and look at the stars. In through your nose, out through your gills, just like water. It'll burn at first."

Riani raised her head out, and gasped. The cool night air stung as she sucked it down. For the first time, she could see the stars, tiny pinpoints of light in a black sky. They weren't simply white, but blue, purple, red and green. As diverse in color as the fish on the reef, the sky was an ocean of its own. She could see the leaves on the mangroves, like black scales. And she found that if she concentrated on her surroundings instead of breathing, the pain faded. Breathing air came naturally. "It's beautiful." Her voice sounded shallow in the air. The echo, and the distance her voice carried in the water no longer existed. The tone, however, was more clear and the edges were sharp. "This is so strange! And lovely!"

"Just wait." Saranyr promised. "But, the hard part is next. Watch." And he pulled himself out of the water.

Riani watched Saranyr's movement with interest. He raised himself off the ground and bent his tail in the place where a human's knees would be. Moving first one arm forward and then the other, he crawled, finishing the movement with a great bucking motion. Riani warily pulled herself out of the water as well and tried to imitate him. However, although years of swimming had strengthened her, she had not developed the muscles necessary to support herself with her arms. Instead, she arranged her body perpendicularly to the direction of travel she desired and did a barrel roll. It was successful. She managed to roll up to where Saranyr rested, panting on the sandbar, and whooped with exhilaration. She lay on her stomach and raised her head to look around. To her left she could hear the ocean lapping at the shore, but she could hear something to her right as well. She squinted, despite knowing that it wouldn't improve her auditory sense. And suddenly she was rolling down a gradual slope, and Saranyr was laughing. She tried to stop her momentum as she tumbled, she tried to catch a tree root or a clump of grass, but she couldn't stop the inevitable splash as she landed in a body of water.

Her sudden impact sent up a blaze of light, and another nearby where Saranyr landed. The light faded as soon as it came up, but every movement she made caused a flickering of bright blue light. And Riani could do nothing except laugh in awe everything. She blew bubbles, and they glowed as they rushed to the surface. She breached like a whale, and the droplets radiated light as they hit the water. She splashed at Saranyr. Eventually she calmed down and watched as little fish rushed through the water, each school disturbing the water and causing it to luminesce.

"What is this place?" She inquired breathlessly.

"The sea of stars." Saranyr replied. "My secret place."

"What makes the water bright?"

"According to the human tour guides, there are bioluminescent dinoflagellates in high concentration here. Basically there are tiny organisms here, and if you disturb them they flash to prevent predation."

"Humans come here?" Riani raised her head out of the water and peered around suspiciously. Her hair, freed from its braid, floated on the surface like seaweed.

"They haven't in years. The last tour was several years ago, they stopped visiting due to preserve the unique ecosystem. And merrs don't come here."

"Why?"

"Because it's a death trap." He said flatly. "A few years ago, the family who lived here stayed too long during a drought year. The parents managed to get their children out, but were unable to escape. The water dropped and that gentle slope you rolled down because a steep drop. They threw their children over it, but were unable to jump the distance. Their bones remain guarding this place."

Riani touched his shoulder, and looked at the scars on his chest. Perhaps they weren't from battle. "Your parents."

"Yes." He said. "They saved me, and all of my foster siblings, but couldn't make it out."

"Thank you for sharing it with me."

"It may seem too personal." Saranyr admitted. "But this place embodies the beauty and dangers of the wild rocks. You don't belong on the reef, you belong out here with us."

"My father would disagree."

"You aren't your father. It's ultimately your decision."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Their kiss was awkward and clumsy, but the setting couldn't have been more romantic. The water blazed, as Riani pulled away. "Take me home."

Slightly dejectedly he swam back to the shore, and led her back to the reef. But when they reached the first coral outpost he reached out to her head. "At least, remember me." Riani would never forget.


	7. Sea of Sand

The capitol of the Blacklands was located in the center of the Scorched Desert. Surrounded by the Burning Mountains, the desert was nearly entirely lifeless. However, from his place on the castle balcony, Cirahl could see the sand whipping around the caravan train that was crossing the desert. These traders were his link to the lands beyond his, to the men and women who ruled over citizens more civilized that then nomadic horselords and cacti. The Blacklands were rich in mineral resources, salt, gypsum, certain metals, but due to the harsh climate no one would ever challenge his family's right to rule. His right to rule. His father was dead, his older brother was dying, and Cirahl was watching his freedom slipping away.

As a second son, Cirahl would have been able to leave the Blacklands, but the heir had contracted a type of Tuberculosis common in miners. Had he had a younger brother he would have been able to abdicate, but there had never been any more children. His mother had been a foreigner, a lowborn noble from the Summer Isles who had captivated his father with her charm. Taken away from the waters she knew and loved, she had slowly wasted away, finally dying when he was in his early teens. Hajran, his father, had done everything in his power to save his ailing wife; including installing small pools of precious water around the castle, but the stagnant sand filled pools had done nothing to alleviate her suffering. Before she died she had penned a marriage contract that would have allowed Cirahl to escape the desert, to spend his days in a lush paradise. But his princess had fallen, and had been swallowed by the ocean. She would be eighteen now, and they would have been married. But she was gone; Cirahl was hesitant to believe she was dead.

True, his spies in the Court of the Summer Isles were adamant about her passing. Her family held celebrations of her life on the fateful day when she had fallen, but Cirahl trusted his eyes. He didn't understand what they had seen, but he believed nonetheless. When the ocean had claimed Rianin, Cirahl had jumped overboard as well to try to save her. He was unable to swim, but his desperation to escape had made him brave. He floated in the water column, watching Rianin's soaked skirts drag her into the blackness. His lungs had screamed for oxygen, but he continued trying to reach her. As he was about to black out he saw it. Silver flashes of light surrounding the drowning girl, and a pair of hands had propelled him out of the deep. Everyone had attributed it to oxygen deprivation, but her body had never been recovered. This caravan was coming from the Summer Isles, and advanced riders promised him that it contained something he had never seen before.

Cirahl stiffly walked to greet the caravan, his light colored robes billowing in the breeze. His face was veiled with fine imported silk to both protect his eyes from the sand, and prevent him from inhaling it. Had he not worn a black ring with the cut ruby crest of his house, Cirahl would have been anonymous. The wheels clattered on the stone forecourt, and Cirahl welcomed the traders into his home. They were bringing spices, fruit, salted fish, and something they wouldn't mention by name in fear the letter would be intercepted. Or perhaps they didn't have a name for it. Cirahl briefly inspected the wares, but he was most interested in the wagon that stood apart from the others, in the shadiest location. He invited the merchants to a feast of cactus wine and salted rabbit, the fare of his country and approached that wagon as they filed into his reception hall.

The trader was dressed in the loose tunic and trousers common to the Summer Isles, and his head was wrapped in a green silk scarf. Not fashionable by any means, but it would keep the sun off just as effectively as anything else. Unlike some of the other carriages which were ornately painted and gilded to showcase the drivers' wealth, this carriage was downright shabby. Peeling paint, moth eaten velvet curtains were signs of a previous opulence. Once inside, Cirahl noted the poor lighting, and absence of wares. A barrel was lashed tightly to the caravan wall to prevent a disturbance of the contents, but it wasn't sealed. A piece of black, loosely woven cloth secured the contents from spilling out the top. A half eaten package of dried fish was on a shelf nearby. Cirahl could hear sloshing water, and see that every so often, the cloth moved independently. The carriage was motionless.

The trader gestured for Cirahl to approach as he pulled the cloth away. "My lord," he said. "I've heard you have put a bounty on information regarding the fate of Princess Rianin."

Cirahl did not answer. Bile rose in his throat, would he be peering into the barrel at Rianin's corpse? But stepping forward, his fears were alleviated and Cirahl's jaw dropped. He didn't even try to maintain a lord like composure. Behind him, the trader chuckled. "I did the same thing when I pulled her out of the water." Because the thing in the barrel was a woman. She stared up angrily, but appeared defeated as well. She had long, lank silvery blond hair, blue eyes, and her skin was pale from spending weeks in a water filled barrel. Narrow slits in her neck answered how she was breathing, the creature had gills. Looking down her body, he noted that her breasts were covered by a pair of dingy clam shells. And where her legs would be was a silver and slate grey tail.

"Everyone has heard the rumors surrounding Rianin's disappearance. They say you're crazy. But as soon as I caught her I knew."

"Where did you catch her?"

"On the reefs surrounding the Summer Isles. I thought she was a shark or a porpoise, but then she started talking, shouting actually. She speaks some Common." The mermaid's eyes narrowed.

Cirahl suspended his disbelief and addressed her. "And do you know the whereabouts of Princess Rianin? A land girl. She'd be eighteen, red hair."

The mermaid said nothing, and Cirahl made a decision. He tipped the barrel and began draining the water. Immediately the hot desert air evaporated her skin's moisture, leaving flaking salt residue. She screamed. "Water!"

"Tell me where Rianin is."

"All the eighteens go to child's court. I can show you. I can show you. Please!"

Cirahl ignored her, but ordered a pitcher of water be brought for her. "Trader, I will make you rich."


	8. Siren Song

Coming out of the caves, Riani blinked in the harsh light of the ocean in daylight. After a few days in the darkness, the bright blue water stung her eyes. Her hangover didn't make it any easier. Riani's connections had scored her an invitation to Favri Pretera's salon. The three day event had been a blur of fine music, rich discussion, and dancing with the best and brightest of the cave merrs. The blur came from the wine. The denizens of the sea could brew a weak kelp wine, but Favri's husband Thierry Trident-tail had a talent for acquiring much stronger wines from human vineyards. In addition to the extensive wine selection, Favri's salon was known for being open to talented merrs from all regions, making it the conception site for more than a few rock merrs. But invited reef delegates, Adrian the heir apparent, and Mari his sister, had declined to attend. They shared their father's scorn for the cave merrs.

Riani hadn't minded that her proud friends had remained on the reef. She had split a bottle of malbec with a duo of elemental magicians. Merlan Wavecaller had been formally named for his mastery of water. His twin sister Kestrel Skyswimmer practiced her talent for channeling the winds along the cave passages, drawing it through openings that weren't submerged and making haunting music. Unlike Riani, who had tested as mundane despite her father's power, these two had been trained since age twelve at an academy for the gifted. Now, at eighteen they would be joining her at child's court to make necessary alliances, possibly sealed in marriage. With their ethereal beauty and power, they would make strong matches. Rumor had it that they would be paired with royals.

And that pair of royals were the cave merrs heir apparent Nadi Silver-eyes, the imperious first born. The line of succession among merrs was first born, regardless of gender, so her brother Criol Silver-fin who had been born mere minutes later had been disinherited. Named for a silver caudal fin, Criol did not resent the circumstances surrounding his birth. He preferred acting out his sister's commands, as he had since they were children. They didn't rule the caves, as their father still sat on the engraved silver throne, polished daily to prevent it from weathering to green. However, they would be powerful at child's court, and on the summer solstice they would be ruling over the cave merr corridors as Adrian and Mari Speedswimmer would rule over the reef merrs. And Riani would be torn between the factions.

Favri's salon was on the very tip of the peninsula, making it accessible for merrs of all factions to visit. It was perhaps a forty five minute swim to Riani's home, centrally located on the reef. But today, Riani wanted to avoid the hustle and bustle of the marketplace followed the shore, approaching her reef from the rocks. Maybe it was her headache, but Riani felt that as she swam towards the rocks, the fuzziness around her head cleared. It cleared further as she approached a particularly perilous section of rocks, known for shipwrecks. Riani felt pulled towards the surface, and followed the summons mindlessly. She could see a slender blue tail in the water, but the attached body was not submerged. Riani could also see a ship's hull cutting through the water directly towards the merr. Beating her tail frantically, Riani approached the rock and surfaced to see her sister, Ariel, singing.

Ariel's blond hair whipped around her face in the breeze, and the sea spray clung to strands like crystals. Her voice was different in the air than it had been in the water. It was empty and hollow, and lower than Ariel's normally childlike voice. It was full of loneliness and need. Riani was transfixed and simultaneously terrified. And all the while, the ship sailed towards its doom. The lighthouse on the peninsula was flashing warning signals, trying to call the ship away from its new course to no avail.

In the histories, Riani had learned about the sirens of old. Who used their voices to sing men to their doom. Women who could sing the siren song were wealthy off their spoils. But since merrs were no longer nomadic, women with this power were persecuted if they practiced their craft. Shipwrecks would draw attention to the area, and Ariel would be banished or worse. But there was still time, if Ariel stopped singing, the ship captain could steer the ship away from the reef. With a powerful stroke of her fin, Riani rushed to silence Ariel. A human shout froze Riani's blood. Ariel had been seen. The sailors' fate was sealed.

Once the ship could no longer steer away from certain peril, Riani pulled Ariel into the water. Exhausted, the younger girl barely protested. Riani had barely gotten them under cover when a tremor shook the reef as the boat collided with a stone outcrop. The water pulsed, boards were torn asunder. And bodies sank into the sea. Riani forced Ariel to watch as the men struggled to surface, but were dragged down by their heavy boots.

"Why are they struggling?" Ariel asked.

"Humans can't breathe here." Riani replied.

Ariel thrashed. "We have to help them!" She cried, but Riani was stronger and restrained her.

"We cannot. They've seen you."

One man nearly made it, but Riani dragged him to the depths. A look of horror crossed his face, when he realized that he would never make it to the air he so desperately craved. He was young and handsome, and wore a miniature of a beautiful young woman's face. Riani watched the light leave his eyes and vomited kelp wine and aperitifs.

Returning, she noted the horrified look in Ariel's eyes. "We could have done something." Ariel repeated listlessly. "You killed him."

"You killed him." Riani replied hoarsely. "You sang the siren song, you called them here to die."

"I didn't know it would hurt them." Ariel denied. "I just wanted to see them up close." She examined the young man's corpse, and pocketed the necklace. "He's so beautiful."

Riani saw the longing in Ariel's eyes and worry filled her heart. "If the humans come, they will hunt us down. I won't be able to protect you at court. I don't want to come home and find that you've been named Ariel Ship-sinker. Promise me you won't do it again."

Ariel stroked the human man's hand, and agreed.


End file.
